Romance in the Fire Nation Palace - a Zutara Fanfiction
by Buddymaltese
Summary: During the Gaang's annual trip to the Fire Nation palace, Katara and Zuko's feelings for each other begin to reveal themselves. It starts off as small hints, but begins to blossom into something much larger. This fanfiction will not be explicit, but will have hints of romance (such as kissing) It's guaranteed to make any Zutara fan want to keep reading.
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1 - A Beautiful Night**

Katara was walking through the long hallways of the Fire nation palace. Ever since Zuko had become the Fire Lord, everything had become so much more peaceful. He invited the Gaang over to his home annually so they could catch up on everything that's been going on in their lives. It was always so much fun. They would play music, dance, have a wonderful feast, and tell their most interesting stories. The rooms that were issued to them were magnificent. Katara was often teased playfully by the rest of her friends for always occupying the best room of them all. They would say how Zuko always did that on purpose, even though none of them really knew for sure.

Right now, Katara was heading back to her room from the palace's pool. She had had lots of fun splashing around in there with her friends, but night had fallen upon them and it was time to retire to their sleeping chambers. She was wearing a red laced cover up over her two-piece bathing suit. The cover up was very long in the back, so it trailed behind her on the tiled floor as she walked. With her towel in one hand and her key in the other, she opened the door to her room and breathed in the delicious fragrance. As always, she had brought her vanilla candles with her. Whenever someone walked into her room, the scent was usually the first thing that greeted them. Katara went over to where the candles were and lit them. Then she finished drying her hair with the towel, which she then placed in the laundry basket. She changed out of her bathing suit into her sleeping gown. The wardrobes and dressers always had clothes for the Gaang when they came over to visit. They could bring their own clothes, of course, but Zuko believed it was the courteous thing to do. Besides, the clothes were always so comfortable and beautiful. Only the finest of materials for his beloved friends.

The particular night dress she had chosen was a long maroon-colored gown made of silk. It had long sleeves and a golden embroidery of a dragon on the back. As she climbed into her large bed, she took one last look at the room. It was very roomy, and had a large window that took up almost the entirety of the left wall. The window had curtains that could be drawn, of course, but Katara liked the view of the turtleduck pond. On the right wall was the door. It was made of mahogany wood and had a picture of a dragon on each side. The room also had its own bathroom, which you faced when you laid in the bed. The wardrobe was on the left side of the bed, and the dresser was on the right. The color tone of the room was very elegant, maroon, mahogany, and a splash of gold here and there. The perfect place to fall asleep in, for one would feel secure in such a grand room. With a stretch and a yawn, Katara drifted to sleep.


	2. Chapter 2

In this chapter, we get our first signs of Zutara.

More of that will be coming in the next chapter, it's something you have to ease into :)

**Chapter Two**

Katara awoke to the warm sunlight drifting in from her window. She sat up in her bed and stretched her arms in the air. Someone had put the candles out , and she smiled as she saw a note sitting by them. She slipped on her silk robe, which was lined with gold at the sleeves and at the

bottom. After getting comfortable in the robe, she put on her favorite pair of blue slippers. Then Katara walked over to the note and picked it up.  
"Katara, remember to put your candles out next time!  
I wouldn't want you to wake up surrounded by fire.  
Of course, yours truly could just swoop in and save you.  
~Zuko"

It was written in that neat handwriting of his. He even put in the effort to fold it into a little envelope shape.  
She smiled as she folded it back up and put it in her drawer.  
As she was about to open the door to join her friends for breakfast, a familiar face appeared in her window.

"Aang? What are doing?" She rushed over to the window and smiled at the young Airbender, then opened it so that they could communicate easier.

"We're having breakfast by the turtleduck pond! Zuko was watching you to see when you would wake up."

"Zuko was watching me sleep?" Katara cast her gaze towards the new fire lord, who was sitting on a bench by the pond. She assumed he had heard them talking because he blushed and pretended not to notice her.

"Yeah, Toph told him you'd think it was creepy, but he insisted it was...'[i]necessary[/i]'."  
Zuko's eyes widened and he chucked a loaf of bread at Aang, who then fell off of his air ball and into the pond. The mother turtleduck swam over to him and bit his hand.

"Ouch!" Aang burst out of the water and grabbed his hand. He then took a deep breath, put his hands together, and dried himself of the water.

"Gee twinkletoes, I guess it's good that Katara taught you that trick, or else we might be pushing you into the lake more often." Toph stood up and turned towards Sokka. "What are you doing?"  
Sokka was leaning over the pond staring at a young turtleduck whom had dove down into the water. "This bird took my boomerang and won't give it back!"

"Sokka, I wouldn't do that if I were y-" Zuko began, but it was too late. Sokka fell face down into the water. When he emerged, he has a lily pad on had head, and was squirting water out of his mouth.

"Sokka," Zuko began, "that's why you don't reach down into the pond. Those turtleducks will pull you in."

"But how are they so strong? And I didn't even get my boomerang back."

"Sure ya did!" Toph pulled something out from behind her back.

"BOOMERANG!" Sokka dove towards Toph, reaching for his beloved boomerang.

"Ah ah ah," She teased as she switched hands, "first you have to admit that I'm the best bender in all of history!"

"But why? Obviously it's Aang. I mean, did you see how he took out Ozai? He was all...woosh! woosh! woosh! And all P-ACHEW, P-"

"Sokka," Katara said sternly. She looked over at Zuko.

"Zuko, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to bring up your-"

"No, it's okay. I'm all right. I did help after all, didn't I?" He mustered a smile, then stood up. "Katara, are you coming down?" He walked to the area underneath her window.

"Yes, I'm coming, just let me climb dow- WOO!" As she placed one foot out of the window, her hand slipped and she fell down.

"OOF!" Zuko had attempted to catch her, but the impact brought both of them down.

"Are you okay?" Katara laughed.

"Yeah, yeah I'm fine, but I'd be better if you weren't laying on my ribcage."

"Oh, sorry about that!" Katara stood up and brushed her robe off. "Here, let me help you up."

"I'll get it Katara!" Now it was Aang speaking. He twirled his glider in the air and smacked it back on the ground. Zuko sprang up into the air and came falling back down.

"What was that for? Now I'm right back where I started!"

"Oops, must've made a mistake!" Aang blushed and shrugged his shoulders.

"Come on Zuko," Katara offered her hand out and helped him up.

"Thank you, at least someone has some sense."

"Enough chit-chat, I'm starving!" Toph rang out. In no time, she was devouring the breakfast.

"I'm with ya there!" Sokka was next to her, shoving as much food in his mouth as he could.

"I swear, Sokka, sometimes it's hard to believe I'm related to you." Katara crossed her arms and glared disdainfully at her brother.

"So what do you guys want to go today?" Toph asked with a mouth full of toast.

"Well, I was thinking we could go back to the pool! I've been working on this new waterbendering move called AANG'S FURIOUS FUNNEL OF DOOM!"

"Sounds good to me!" Zuko chimed in. "And Aang, I'd love to see that move."

"I'm sure ya would, I'm gonna mix it with the basic forward and backward move, and the airbending move I accidentally practiced on you a couple minutes ago!"  
Toph half-choked on her rice roll as she laughed at Aang's remark.

"Well I don't care what you're mixing it with, just don't fling me into the air again."

"Will do, fire lord!"

• • •

"Now, which bathing suit should I go with..." Katara held up two bathing suit tops in her hand. One was red with golden jewels around it, and the other was her own plain blue bathing suit. "I mean, I really like the red one, but I've been wearing red so often." She walked over to her mirror and held them both one at a time up to her chest. "Red it is! When you're staying in the fire lord's palace, what else can you expect to wear?"  
She quickly changed into her bathing suit and grabbed her cover up and a towel. "And I don't need sunscreen, because it's a fancy indoor pool!"  
As she was looking around for her brush, there was a knock on her door. "Come in!"  
Zuko peeked his head in the door. Oh, how beautiful Katara looked in her bathing suit!

"Zuko! What's up?" She turned around and faced him.

"Oh, you uh, you left this at the pond!" He held out her necklace in his hand.

"My necklace," Katara brought her hand up to her chest, where her necklace should be.

"Yeah, I know it's important to you, and I um," he gave an awkward cough, "wanted to return it to you."Katara walked over to him, looking gently at his eyes.

"Thank you," she said kindly and reached out to take it. As she put it on, they were both caught in each other's gaze. Without knowing it, they began leaning close to each other...

"Hey guys!" Toph appeared behind them.  
Zuko's face turned a bright red, and Katara turned away and grabbed her arm awkwardly.

"Are you coming down to the pool or what? You're slow than me trudging through sand!" Toph laughed playfully.

"Yes, yes we're coming!" Zuko waved at her, then put his arm back down when he remembered she couldn't see him.

"Good, because we've been waiting for you. What's taking you so long anyway?"

"Oh, um, he was just returning my necklace. I left it at the pond."

"Returning? He took it while you guys were tangled up outside of your window."

"WHAT?!" Zuko screamed. "Who told you!"

"Sokka!" She retorted as if it were nothing, then made her way to the pool.

"Are, are you mad? I just wanted to give it back to you so I'd have a reason to-"

"Zuko," Katara took his hand in hers, "I'm not mad. I know you have nothing but good intentions." She let his hand fall back to his side and followed Toph to the pool.

"Yeah," he smiled, then began walking with her. 


End file.
